Key features:
Battery power The tool runs on the AS battery system, which gives about 15 minutes of operation per battery.
Power or bucket Use tap water or use a bucket or the supplied water bag.
Pressure washers are great, but even the smallest mains-powered ones are still bulky and fiddly to use. Life is made easier with the battery-powered Stihl RCA 20 cordless pressure washer.
Pop in the batteries, connect the hose (or plug it into the supplied water tank), and you’re ready to go. Of course, this pressure washer isn’t powerful enough for deep cleaning your patio, but it’s a great little tool for bikes, garden furniture and cars.
Design and features:
Comes with a carry case
Can be used with a hose or the supplied 20-litre water bag
Spray hose, soap dispenser and multiple nozzles
The Stihl RCA 20 isn’t the first battery-powered pressure washer I’ve reviewed, that was the Karcher KHB 5.
The KHB 5 was a decent unit for its time, but its main issues were its large size, short run time and long charging times; issues that the Stihl RCA 20 avoids.
To keep the size down, the RCA 20 uses Stihl’s 10.8V AS battery platform, which is used in a growing number of tools such as the GTA 26 cordless pruner and HSA 40 hedge trimmer.
While the 10.8V system doesn’t offer the power of Stihl’s 36V AK system, its tiny batteries are still powerful and, most importantly, very light.
In fact, the Stihl RCA 20 weighs just 1.5kg, which is more than a kilo lighter than the KH5. Plus, the RCA 20 is smaller and easier to hold, which is very practical for both carrying and using a pressure washer.
If you already have AS batteries available, you can buy this tool barebones (£149), or you can buy two batteries and an AL 1 charger for £50.
It’s worth buying two batteries for this pressure washer, as this doubles the runtime to around 30 minutes of continuous use, allowing you to clean further than you might expect.
The batteries take 60 minutes to charge to 80%, or 80 minutes to 100%; this is much better than the KH5, which comes with a slow charger that takes 290 minutes to fully charge the battery.
Stihl has thought very carefully when designing the Stihl RCA 20, and even includes a carry case that’s big enough to hold the pressure washer, charger, batteries and all the accessories.
Whether you’re storing the pressure washer behind a shed or transporting it in the boot of a car, this bag is very practical.
You get the main accessories you need for a pressure washer, including a 4-in-1 nozzle with swivel, fan spray, narrow spray, and watering modes.
Modes are selected by rotating the nozzle and aligning it with the corresponding icon. It’s simple to operate, and you can quickly switch between spray modes.
The nozzle can be connected directly to the RCA20, or you can use it with the spray gun extender that clips on the front.
There is also a separate detergent spray kit, which contains a bottle that you can fill with the liquid detergent of your choice and then mix with water. Again, this tool can be connected directly to the RCA 20 or to the end of the wand.
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